lærðar

lærðar is a word that occurs in the Icelandic language and is used as an adjective meaning "learned" or "educated." It is the feminine plural form of the adjective lærð, which is derived from the past participle of the Old Norse verb læra, meaning "to learn." In contemporary Icelandic, lærð is commonly employed to describe individuals, institutions, or groups that possess a high level of knowledge or academic achievement. For example, lærðir sérfræðingar (learned specialists) or lærður menning (learned culture) are typical phrases in written and spoken Icelandic.

The word is analogous to English "learned" and shares a common Germanic root with related forms in other Scandinavian languages, such as Swedish lärd and Danish lærd. It is frequently found in literary and academic contexts, signaling a person’s scholarly credentials or a community’s intellectual heritage. In Icelandic grammar, lærð is inflected according to gender and number: lærður (masculine singular), lærð (neuter singular), lærðarg (masculine plural), lærðar (feminine plural). The plural form lærðar is used primarily in written registers; in everyday speech, speakers may prefer translational equivalents like "íþróttavígandi" or "vitundarallað."

lærðar is also used nominally in some expressions, where the adjective functions as a noun to refer collectively to learned people – for instance, an academic group might refer to themselves as "lærðar." The term embodies respect for intellectual pursuit and is emblematic of Iceland's long tradition of valuing scholarship.